Lethe
by Orli
Summary: There was something wrong about his eyes." When Remy 'disappears,' John fills his place. For now. Rogue, Remy, John.
1. Chapter 1

It was still raining when Rogue returned to the mansion.

She licked the water from her lips as she turned to close the door as quietly as she could. She watched through the window as the rain raged on outside on the mansion grounds.

"Whatch y' doin', petite?" Rogue spun back around to the voice that had called her out.

"What're you doing, Remy?" She was a little confused at why he seemed to have been waiting for her. He almost looked like typical Remy, leaning against the wall. All he needed was the folded arms and the grin. He wasn't grinning now, and too many shadows draped his face for her to see his true expression.

"Remy jus' ask y' dat," he responded. Her countenance contorted with more confusion. She wiped her face with both hands, removing the water threatening to drip into her eyes.

"What?" She dropped her arms beside her. He'd stood from the wall, and his face had become more visible. His arms were now folded over his chest. She stared at him, waiting for his response. She was completely aware that the conversation was going nowhere. Remy stared back.

"Y' look like y' need somet'in' warm," he observed. "Remy get y' some tea."

He dropped his arms, turned around and walked away, clearly expecting her to follow. Rogue waited until she could no longer see him and then smiled. She was relieved he hadn't asked any more questions. Conversation successfully avoided. She didn't really want to tell him how she'd gone traipsing in the woods. It hadn't made much sense really. She'd been bored and gotten the idea that maybe it was something Logan would do to release energy. Then realized how stupid it was to be running around in the woods at night, screaming and hitting things. It had been kind of beautiful though, looking up through the treetops as the rain filtered through. That was what she had ended up doing after bruising her knuckles on a pine.

She wondered why he'd been up. If he'd known she'd left and had been waiting for her. A shiver brought her out of her thoughts, and she shook herself in an attempt to fling off some of the water. Then she stopped herself, realizing she was done with the whole feral act.

Rogue wandered to the kitchen. Remy was there, standing at the island counter and stirring a spoon in a cup. Her tea, she presumed. It was a weird sight to see, Remy stirring tea. She proceeded to take a seat on the other side. He continued to stir the spoon, not looking up at her. She watched his hands. He slid the cup towards her and looked up at her. She looked him in the eye. He didn't say anything.

"Thanks," she said, taking the cup and averting her eyes to look down into it. Her nose itched and she was cold. Bad signs for a person who'd just rolled around outside in the rain. Another reason not to do it again. She lowered her face readily towards the raising warmth. Hopefully, she wouldn't catch a cold.

"Y' should hurry an' take dem clothes off b'fore y' get sick," he suggested. She stared at him again. He'd gone a long time without grinning. It was a little disconcerting.

He must have seen the apprehension on her face because he smirked a little then. Rogue shivered, her wet clothes sucking the heat from her body, and grinned back, taking a sip from her cup. She was soaking wet and very pleased.


	2. Chapter 2

It was drizzling outside the next morning.

Rogue wanted to talk to Remy about last night, but she was in no rush to unearth herself from the warmth of her covers. She was freezing last night after her little rain escapade. She still couldn't believe she did that. All she'd gotten from it was almost making herself sick and bruised up hands.

She wanted to ask Remy if anything had been wrong last night. She was a bit irked by his disposition. He hadn't really looked angry or anything, but he hadn't seemed completely himself. And she just kind of wanted to talk to him. She missed him. She frowned a little at the thought. She didn't like how clingy that sounded, but couldn't really describe it any other way. He had pretty much become her closest friend since he'd gotten here.

The rain picked up a little, building a tempo against her window. She could see the woods from the window, dark and a little ominous under the gray sky, and she didn't understand why she ever thought to go alone. She wondered if it had stopped raining since last night and how long it would last today. It didn't look that bad outside. A streak of lightening cut across the sky. The thunder followed shortly after, a little louder than she'd expected. She could feel her heart beating. It wasn't the best feeling.

She took in a breath and sighed before tossing the covers off.

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The sun had made its appearance by the time she went back upstairs.

She was worried and very confused. Remy hadn't answered his door, and she hadn't been able to find him downstairs. But that wasn't what was freaking her out. She had asked around downstairs to find that no one knew who he even was. The students she'd asked claimed to have never heard of him before. And she didn't really know what to make of the truth in their eyes.

"Hey, Rogue." She looked up and saw John had stopped just as they were about pass each other. He looked a bit concerned.

"Are you okay?" he asked, watching her carefully. She must have looked unsettled enough to worry him.

"Do you know where Remy is?" John would know who Remy was, considering they had talked to each other face to face many, many times.

"Who?" Johnny asked, looking confused. She furrowed her brow and looked at him. Freaking Remy! The only Remy in the mansion that people had seemed to know before today. The only Remy John had seemed to know before today!

"Re-my. Cajun. Kinetic energy powers." She was speaking louder now, obviously frustrated and losing her patience.

John shook his head unknowingly, "Sorry, I don't know him."

She couldn't believe this. "Is this a joke?"

"Is what a joke?" There was no way it could have been a joke. It made even less sense than the whole situation. He looked just as confused as she felt.

"Nothing," she replied and began walking back to her room. She wasn't exactly sure what to do in the position she was now in, and she wanted to leave before she began freaking John out even more. She'd probably just convinced him that she was high. She felt like she was losing her mind.

"Rogue, wait. What's going on?" She shook her head. "What are you talking about? Who's Remy?"

"I don't know what's going on, John!" she responded. She tried to blink back the tears in her eyes. She didn't know what she was talking about or who Remy was anymore. It was sounding like he was nothing more than a figment of her imagination, but she knew that wasn't true either.

"Rogue, you can talk to me," John proclaimed at seeing her crying. He stepped closer, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You know that, right?"

She nodded, "Yeah, I know."

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	3. Chapter 3

_Her trembling legs carried her down the hall. John and Bobby had been right next to her, but she had lost them in the blinding light, exploding glass and flying debris. She did not understand how this could be happening so suddenly and without any warning. And now the picture she had once held of Xavier's infallible sanctuary lay shattered among the shards of glass sprinkled on the floor._

_She turned down corridors where the screaming and yelling sounded louder, trying to follow the sound of the kids in the distance._

"_Rogue!" Bobby's voice came from the opposite direction. She stopped quickly and turned to run towards his voice. Turning a corner, she was suddenly blinded by a light. Raising her hands to shield her eyes, she squinted into the glare ahead of her._

_And then, there was a sharp sting near her ribs. She could feel her body struggling to use the remnants of the healing factor she had imprinted from Logan as she stared into the light barely able to make out the silhouette of the soldier standing before her lowering the gun in his hand._

_Looking down beneath her arm quickly, she ran a hand over the spot. And as the faint sound of metal striking the floor rang through the air, she saw three metal darts illuminated in the light bounce off the floor. Then there was nothing._

Rogue woke with her breath caught in her throat and her heart pounding in her chest. Instinctively her hand flew to her stomach. Her breath came in gasps as she ran her hand over the spot the wound had been in the dream. There was nothing there. She was fine.

She had been having pieces of what she assumed to be the same nightmare for quite a while. The night of the attack, except instead of escaping with Logan, John and Bobby, she had been captured. It was disturbing. She didn't know why she was having the dreams. They started after Remy disappeared. Or, as the professor had explained to her, Remy was a figment that she'd created from one of the personalities in her head and her brain had dismantled him in the process of healing.

Bull.

She knew something else had happened. Something maybe the Professor knew or didn't. She had not made Remy up. That she knew for sure. But there was nothing she could really do, but know it. She couldn't prove the truth.

John was the only one who believed her, and he was the only one she'd confided in as a result. Even though he didn't understand it or remember Remy, he believed her. At least he said he did. He knew she wasn't crazy. That was more than she could say for the Professor or Logan.

She'd gone to Logan before she'd gone to the Professor, and he had sent her to the Professor. She tried not to be angry with him—it wasn't like he could have helped her—but she couldn't help but feel like he'd wanted to wash his hands of the problem. He hadn't believed her. It hurt. Now where she'd have spent her time with Remy, John was there. She'd told only him about her reoccurring dream. Thinking about it, he was the last person she'd expected to become close to out of all her options. But that was the way it had worked.

The sun seemed to be shining brightly these days as if in mockery of the way she felt. There was no justice. She remembered the last time she'd seen Remy it had been pouring down rain. So much for the weather matching the mood. Maybe it was matching Storm's or someone else's. She hoped for the sake of someone's satisfaction that it was.

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	4. Chapter 4

It was cloudy outside when Rogue found John in the kitchen.

"A different one? Related?" he asked, not looking up from the drink he was stirring. Rogue sat across the island counter from him, watching him stir the spoon as she told him about the dream she'd had last night.

"Not related to the other one. Remy was in this one. Or his voice was. I could only see shadows, but I knew someone else was there, and I knew there was something wrong. It was creepy. Then I heard Remy's voice, but he wasn't the person I could sense." She furrowed her brows. "I have no idea what it means. Since when do you drink tea?"

He smiled and pulled the spoon out the cup.

"I found it in the cupboard." He said, sliding the cup to her. "Here ya go."

She looked him in the eye, silent. He didn't say anything more.

"Thanks," she said, taking the cup and averting her eyes to look down into it. She was having a hardcore flashback of the night before Remy disappeared when this exact same thing had happened. It didn't warrant mentioning. She didn't really feel like bringing it into the conversation. It was just a coincidence. As meaningless as her dream.

"Do you think it'll rain today?" she asked him, trying to keep herself from thinking about it. He looked past her out the kitchen window where the clouds were brewing. The last time it rained was before Remy disappeared.

"I'd say it was just for show, but it hasn't rained in a long time." He shrugged. "Maybe... Are you not thirsty?"

She hadn't touched the tea. She shook her head. She didn't feel like tea. "Sorry."

"'s okay," he pulled the cup back to himself, smirking. "I made it for myself actually."

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It was raining when Remy came back.

Rogue stood at the island counter, looking at her hands as she stirred a spoon in a cup. Remy sat on the other side. She could feel him, watching her, trying to remember. She continued to stir, not looking up at him. She hadn't been able to look at him since he'd sat down. Slight contrast from moments earlier when she couldn't take her eyes off him.

He'd come in through the front door, soaking wet. As if he'd been returning from a feral escapade of his own in the woods. That was how she found him. And she hadn't moved or said a thing. The rain had started beating harder on the door, as if begging to be let in, and they were standing there silently, watching each other. Until he said her name. Not quite all there, she'd offered to make him some tea and then promptly left for the kitchen.

He was dripping on the counter now. She stirred the spoon a few more times, not really wanting to stop and have to talk again. Not that she'd said much. She didn't know what to say.

"I think it's ready," he said, his eyes on her hands now. She pulled the spoon out and slid the cup towards him, finally looking at him. He was looking her in the eye, silent. She didn't say anything.

"Merci," he said, taking the cup and averting his eyes to look down into it. She licked her dry lips nervously and watched him drink. She needed answers. She had to know what had happened. What was going on.

"What's the last thing you remember?"

"Remy don' 'member not'in', Chère… 'cept y'," he answered. "Not dis place, not why 'm here, not where 'm from. Not'in."

So pretty much nothing. Okay. She nodded. She didn't want to ask him anymore questions if he couldn't answer them. He'd managed to tell her something, even if she was still clueless. She was positive that she was right now. Something was going on. A guy didn't just disappear from existence, have only one person remember him, and then come back clueless.

She wanted to tell him how confused and scared she'd been, how much she'd missed him, but she couldn't. Instead she said to him, "You should change out of those clothes before you get sick."

He stared at her for a moment. "Oui." Then smiled.

Rogue felt a chill down her back. This was no figment of her imagination, sitting in front of her. She grinned back, completely lost and very happy.

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	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: I just moved to Portugal... the day before yesterday for an internship, but here is the chapter! A little short, but important nonetheless. Pay attention. Thank you for the reviews. Beijos. Bisous.  
_

_A weary moan escaped Rogue's throat, fatigue clouded her senses, and her sight was hazy as if a mist had enshrouded her. She was vaguely aware of her body, yet she could not move nor did she have the strength. Her thoughts trudged around lethargically in her mind, making concentrating feel like hiking uphill in deep mud. She was too tired to try to focus on any of them. But she could sense there was someone. Thoughts or no thoughts, she could feel him in the back of her mind._

_Her eyes were out of focus, making comprehension of the shadows and silhouettes before her impossible. She tried concentrating on bringing the image before her into focus, and slowly, almost unrealistically, the shadows transformed into a figure before her. She could barely make it out as human, the features significantly veiled from her eyes._

_Another moan escaped her lips as she fought against heavy eyelids, and she glared into the shadows before her. She judged him to be sitting. She could not make out who he was, but she could feel uneasiness, an innate feeling of apprehension from being near whoever it was. She could not speak, for she could feel herself slipping quickly into unconsciousness. She could hear nothing. It was as if she were in a pool, her ears surrounded by silent waters._

_Except now there was a sound pushing through, delaying her departure. A voice from her right, coming from an owner somewhere she could not see, distant as if it had traveled thousands of miles, silent but slowly becoming clearer, making waves. The same voice, calling out repeatedly. A jumble of syllables, filtered by the water, until finally they swam to her ears where they were finally deciphered. Coming from a voice as jaded as she was, "…Chére."_

It was storming outside when the power went out.

The generators would kick in any minute, but for now, the mansion was devoid of artificial light. Rogue was walking down the hall, using the help of the light created by the lightening.

She was using her hand on wall as a guide to his room. She'd walked a ways before she stopped, realizing she didn't know which door was his. She laughed to herself, at herself really, when a deafening thunder caused her to scream.

"'S jus thunder, Chère. Ain't no need t' be scared." The voice came from in front of her. Rogue stood frozen where she stood, staring in front of her and unable to see the owner. She slid her hand from the wall slowly. The accent was unmistakable. So was the voice.

"Where are you?" she asked cautiously. Hearing him should have been calming, especially since she'd been going to him, but it had only put her on edge. She heard the rustling of clothes, then a clicking sound, followed finally by a flame of light.

"I'm right here, Rogue," he answered. It was strange hearing her name come from his mouth. It sounded so artificial. And besides that, the light wasn't helping any. She could only see his hand and part of his arm clearly. His face was barely a silhouette. Except she swore she could see his eyes. She was sure her eyes were tricking her though, because his eyes were red and they didn't glow.

"I had a bad dream." She broke the unnerving silence. He hadn't moved and neither had she. She wondered if he was doing it on purpose, to try to scare her. "I was looking for you."

He raised his hand higher and the light flicker over his face, lighting his expression. He smiled and answered, "C'mon, Remy make y' some tea."

She nodded and tried not to sound unsettled. "Okay."

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	6. Chapter 6

The rain fell down lightly.

It had been sometime since Remy had returned, and everyone seemed to remember who he was, including Logan and the Professor, even though Remy still remembered no one. There was however the fact that no one seemed to remember he had ever disappeared. There was no explanation to that. It was something she'd resigned to accept not having after all that had happened.

She looked up then and saw that she and John were about pass each other. He didn't seem to notice. She stopped and smiled as she greeted him. "Hey, John."

He looked at her blankly for a second and without stopping nodded in her direction.

"John?" He was walking back towards his room. "Hey, wait."

He stopped and faced her, as she caught up to him. "What's wrong? Did something happen?"

He didn't usually act like this towards her. Truthfully, it had been a while since she had actually spent time with John. Since Remy had come back. Since he'd become real again, she'd not really given him the chance to disappear again.

John raised his eyebrow, expectantly. "_Did_ something happen? I don't know. You tell me. _What_ happened?"

His voice was hard, almost angry as he spoke to her. It confused her why he was speaking to her like this. What was going on?

"What do you mean?" He ignored her question and turned to continue walking back to his room.

"If you're looking for Remy, he's downstairs." His accusing words stopped her from pursuing him any further. A deliberate dismissal. Of her questions. Of her. She felt guilty as she grasped the meaning of his previous questions. She supposed she should, having ignored him after all he'd done and been for her when she'd needed him.

"I'm sorry!" were the only words she could manage to think of.

"Okay," He answered, detached, and then he closed his door behind him.

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It had stopped raining when Logan returned from his trip.

"Logan's back," Jubilee had told her expectantly.

She furrowed her eyebrows and asked the girl, "From where?"

Jubilee looked at Rogue as if she were daft and responded before leaving. "I don't know. His something-month-long trip."

Rogue ran downstairs to sure enough find Logan there in the lobby with his traveling pack on his shoulder. She was not understanding the scene before her. Logan had not been on a personal trip since before Remy had returned. Since before the attack. He had taken on too much responsibility to leave for so long. Especially not a "something-month-long" trip.

"Where are you going?" she asked as she descended the stairs slowly. He looked up at her and smirked, amused.

"I'm not going anywhere, kid. I just got back. Miss me?"

"Got back from where?" Maybe he had gone out last night. Or early in the evening. But if that were the case, why would she miss him?

He looked her in the eye, then broke the contact, saying, "You don't need the details, kid."

"When did you leave?" His clothes. She stared at them as she realized they were the same ones he'd been wearing when he'd gotten back the last time.

He stared at her just as incredulously as she stared at him. "What are you talking about? I told you I'd be back a few months ago. Now I'm here."

"What?! You didn't tell me anything? And there's no way you were gone for a few months. You were just here yesterday!" she was almost yelling him. He was claiming to have just returned from a trip he'd already made and returned from.

"Kid, are you alright?" he asked, worry in his eyes. Her eyes widened before she turned and ran back upstairs without answering him.

"Remy! Remy!" she yelled, banging on his door, franticly. She was panicking now. When she stopped, she heard nothing inside. Frightened, her chest began to tighten as she feared he wouldn't there anymore. She needed him to answer that door.

It was happening again.

"REMY!" The door opened suddenly and there Remy stood, looking sleepy but worried, obviously haven been woken by her screams.

"What's da matter, Chère?" He was there. He answered. Her heartbeat could begin returning to normal as she saw him there standing in front of her. Still there. Her tears spilled forth.

She didn't understand what was happening to her.

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	7. Chapter 7

A/N: I'm sick, blah. pay attention please. Maybe you can figure it out in this chapter. There's a few more left.

The clouds still crowded the sky, but there was no sign of rain.

Remy stood at the window, staring out through the glass silently. Rogue sat in the chair in his room, staring at him equally taciturn. It been like this for a while. Quiet like this. Both of them trying to figure out what was going on.

Rogue hadn't seen Logan since he had "gotten back" some time ago. She'd skillfully avoided him, not wanting to face him not believing her again. Well, Logan seemed occupied with other things going around the mansion since having returned. She wouldn't be making the trip to the Professor this time.

She hadn't talked to John since their last encounter either. She'd been afraid. He wouldn't believe her this time. It was unlikely he would take the time to listen to her strange story anyway. Logan was back.

Regardless of the fact that Remy knew he had never left, Logan _was_ back. It wasn't a comfort to either of them to know they were the only ones. It only meant now that Rogue's sanity wasn't the only one in question.

"We not crazy," he said finally, speaking to himself more than to her. She wondered if her thoughts had somehow disturbed him from his own and if he knew he had answered hers as if they'd been spoken aloud. He hadn't turned to look at her yet—his words not spoken for her comfort, but as an afterthought. But at least the silence had been broken.

She hesitated before whispering his name, "Remy?"

He turned to look at her, meeting her uncertain gaze for a few moments before turning back to look out the window. His brows were knit with intent.

"Remy's gon' figure it out," he murmured.

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Despite the drizzle, the sun still shone demanding the rain's retreat.

It hadn't had it's turn for quite a while. There'd been no answers either, but she'd stopped searching. Or hoping. She'd never really been looking anyway. Not expecting there to be anything to find.

Remy though, he'd never stopped looking. Not since he'd gotten back. Rogue didn't know who was more confused—him, having popped into a world where nothing made any sense, or her, feeling the world she knew fall apart.

"Chère, tell Remy 'bout dat dream again!" She looked at him startled by his unexpected entrance.

"Bout dat dream wit Remy 'n it." He was breathing as if he'd run there to find her in the kitchen where she sat at a table, watching the students outside.

"Um... I'm in a room, and I hear your voice calling me. There's someone else there, but it's not you. It's someone I don't recognize...," she paused. The dream never got any clearer anytime she had it. "I don't know. I can't see him. He doesn't seem... good."

"Dat man. He sittin'? What's his name? What Remy say t' y'?" He was rushing through the questions, still breathing hard. His hands grasped the table as leaned closer to her.

"Yes, he's sittin'. I don't know his name. He never said it. You... You only called me Chère. That's all I remember Remy. It never really changes. It always like that." She was kind of scared. "What's going on?"

"Rogue, Remy know what's goin' on 'n dat room! It's him! It's—" he was still talking. One moment almost yelling, the next his warning voiceless. He continued talking, unaware that she couldn't hear him.

"Remy? Remy! I can't hear you. What's going on!... " She stood up from the table, truly frightened now. Suddenly, Remy seemed to have stopped talking. Looking just as frightened, he took a step back from the table. Pain wrenched his face, and suddenly he fell to his knees as he grabbed his head.

"Remy!" she moved from where she stood towards where he was doubled over, but before she could reach him, a light seemed to emanate from him, quickly becoming brighter until it encompassed his body and then disappeared, taking him with it.

"REMY!" But she was screaming at no one.

He was gone.

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	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Sorry for the delay. My responsibilities at work have been piling up on me. It's been really overwhelming, being in a different country, with a different culture and learning a new language. I've hit the one month mark as well as the had the first breakdown/cry! So I'm much better :P

The sun shone brightly, alone in the sky.

She hated the sun. And the pain it always seemed to bring with it. She wished the clouds would come back to blot out its light. To deliver her from all this with the rain. And to wash away her insanity.

"Why are you always in here now? Isn't the kitchen Bobby's territory?" The voice jerked her out of her glum thoughts.

John pulled a chair out and seated himself across the table from her. She only stared at him, unable to open her mouth on account of the incoherency that reigned her thoughts. John was talking to her.

"You just sit here… staring forlornly outside… And I don't think you really like tea because you never drink from that cup." He watched her, awaiting a response. "… I mean… that's just my opinion."

She looked down at the full cup trapped between her hands on the table. A pitiful attempt for comfort. One that never worked because she never felt comforted by the fact that she'd lost him again.

John sighed at her silence. She could feel his eyes on her, his brows that were probably knit together in frustration. His fingers tapped on the tabled as he leaned back in his chair, tilting it on it's hind legs. She didn't really know what to say to him or what he wanted to hear. He didn't say anything else for a while, and she looked up to see him staring out the window.

She hadn't dared to ask anyone about Remy. She already knew what to expect. She'd been through this before. There was no point, and no one seemed to be blinking an eye about his disappearing. He didn't exist. Again. She had no one to go to who would believe her. She had no proof. Her memories proved nothing, save insanity.

When he turned to meet her eyes, she dragged her eyes to her cup again. He leaned forward, letting the chair fall back on it's front legs, and she thought he was going to leave. Instead he asked, "… Why am I mad at you?"

She looked up at him. He didn't remember… because he didn't remember Remy anymore. So he had no reason to be angry at her for spending so much time with him. She wondered how thrown off he felt about this lapse of memory he was experiencing, if his confusion came anywhere near matching hers. Probably not.

She stared into his eyes, where she could see his worry and uncertainty.

"I don't know," she said.

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	9. Chapter 9

AN: one more chapter left!!! please only leave constructive reviews :D

_Her sight was hazy, blurred again. She could see nothing but shadows in the darkness when she could manage to open her eyes. She was so weak, physically and mentally, and it hurt. She knew this place, she'd been here before. The same place from her last dream. And she wasn't alone. She remembered the figure. The seated figure, who the idea of immediately brought her fear._ _Where was he now? She knew he had to be here. _

_And… and Remy. He was supposed to be here, too. He had been calling her before. She didn't bother with her eyes, she focused all her attention on trying to hear for him. To hear his call to her. But she heard nothing._

"_Remy… Remy," she moaned lethargically. Those two faint utterances took more energy than she could expend, and she could say no more. She heard no response. He wasn't there anymore._

"_This is the longest he's been at this… I don't know how much longer they'll last." It was a voice she didn't recognize._

"_Yeah. He's getting weak. He's only bringing the others in and out at this point," Another unrecognized voice responded. Last what? The others? In and out? She had no clue to what they were referring. She listened for more information. But none came._

"Wanna go swimming?" John asked from where he lay on his back in the grass beside her. She guessed he'd finished telling his story about his most recent date. She hadn't been paying much attention. Instead she'd been watching some of the other students outside and letting her thoughts wander. Unfortunately, they only wandered toward the negative. She sighed.

"What do you think?" She didn't want to do anything, especially not put on some stupid body-suit-excuse-of-a-swim-suit.

"Right… So I've been meaning to ask… Was it me who was mad at you… or you who was mad at me? Because I can't tell," John asked. She turned her head where it rested on her arms so she was looking at him. He was watching her, his arms behind his head. She'd been hanging out with him since he approached her again after Remy left, but it hadn't been the same.

She wanted to yell at him, to tell him how much she just _didn't_ care. But she couldn't. It wasn't his fault.

"I'll take that blink as an 'I love you, too'," John murmured before sighing and turning to look back at the sky.

She closed her eyes.

It was getting so hot now. Too hot for rain. The sun burned away any clouds that threatened it's reign. Along with her hope that things would ever return to normal. That she'd ever get him back. She didn't even talk about it with John. She'd never brought it up—regardless of the fact that Remy's second disappearance seemed to have messed with his memory—because what good would it do? She had no answers to offer him. No reasons to why all this was occurring. It had been going on so long, she wasn't sure how much she cared anymore.

She'd been dozing off, listening to the sound of the students for a while, when John asked, "You love him, don't you?"

She opened her eyes, lifted her head off her arms and looked incredulously at him. Was he talking about Remy? But he didn't remember him. No one did. Or at least it seemed so. She hadn't bothered to asked, but… "What?"

John was still on his back staring at her. "What did you just say?"

He smiled at her, and something about it scared her. It wasn't John's smile. Something was off about… his eyes. "John?... What did you just say!"

"I didn't say anything, Rogue," he responded calmly, a false frown replacing his previous smile. Like he knew everything. Everything that had happened, everything that was going on. Like he was playing with her. She pushed herself to her knees, stopping to look at him once more.

Then she slapped him. As hard as she could, her anger hastily overshadowing her confusion. And then she got up to run. But he was faster, despite his shock. He flung up off his back, reached out and grabbed her ankle with one hand, sending her falling straight back down to the ground.

Thunder was the last thing she heard before her head hit the ground.

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	10. Chapter 10

A:N: Last chapter. Doubts/questions?

She was in the room again. Where everything was dark and shadows covered everything. The room from her dream. She could feel it. She knew this place so well now. She was so tired, and her body ached. She was sitting in a chair. Strapped down. She felt like she'd been there for a while. And she could see much better now, though her vision was still blurred. And she could hear. Water. Dripping. And moving feet. Breathing. Murmuring.

She didn't understand, though, why she was here. All she could remember was John…

"Chère…" the voice called out from beside her. She turned, startled, to see Remy sitting next to her, in the same condition she was. Tired and trapped.

"Remy!" her voice was hoarse. Her throat felt sore like she'd been screaming for too long. He was back! She hadn't thought she'd ever see him again.

"It's him. He doin' dis to us. To you. He's in yo' head. 'N' he's comin' back." What was he talking about? Who was in her head? The professor? Over his shoulder she could see some movement. There were more chairs, and more captives. Bobby, Jubilee… John. All strapped in.

"Who?" she asked. He's eyes were closed. She wondered how long they'd been here without food or water. "Remy! Who?"

"Jason," he mumbled. "We been caught… 'n' he playin' wit us."

She didn't know who Jason was or what he was talking about, but she knew she was about to find out. The sound of footsteps and wheels approached. Someone was pushing something… or someone. A fierce-looking woman with her hair slicked back into a ponytail entered pushing a ragged man in a wheelchair. She was silent in contrast to his loud, rough breath.

His eyes.

She recognized his eyes. From when she'd been in the hallway with Remy the night of the blackout. And from when she'd slapped John. That same expression that hadn't fit and that she'd known innately to fear. It was him. He'd done all this to her. He'd been in her head. And he was coming back.

He smiled, turning her world black.

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It was raining when Rogue returned to the mansion.

She closed the door behind her and pushed her wet hair out of her face, then headed towards the kitchen. She'd just tried to steal Logan's bike. And failed. She couldn't really explain why, except she'd had an urge that she was sure came from the remnants of his personality and figured it was something he would do. She wouldn't be doing it again.

"Hey Roguey, want some tea?" John asked her as she entered the kitchen. He was sitting across from Bobby at the island. There were a few other people in the kitchen.

She grimaced a little. "I hate tea… _Johnny_."

"Well, dats a shame, petite. Remy make da best tea." The voice came from another student she didn't know. He was sitting at a table near one of the windows. Auburn hair, Cajun accent, interesting eyes.

"Sorry," she smiled apologetically, sat next to John and whispered, "Who's that?"

"New kid… refers to self in third person," John whispered back, before taking a drink from his cup. She smiled, rolling her eyes at his immaturity, and let them fall back on Remy, the new student, who was now looking out the window.

"Hey, Rogue. Do you think Bobby looks fat? He's eating ice cream everyday for weeks now," John asked. She pulled her eyes away from Remy reluctantly.

"John. Shut up," Bobby retorted.

"Why? It's not my fault your pants are getting tight. Maybe—" She rolled her eyes again, not really in the mood for one of their little quarrels, and snuck a peek at Remy again. She had a feeling she'd get to know him better soon. He was still looking out the window, holding a cup of what she assumed to be some of his really good tea and looking slightly… forlorn. She glanced at the window to see what he might be looking at. She didn't see anything, except… the sun… shining brightly and alone in the sky.

"But it was raining…" quietly speaking her thoughts. There'd been only clouds before and she'd come back inside less than five minutes ago.

She turned quickly to John about to speak when she noticed was still talking… or that his mouth was moving, but that she was hearing nothing.

"John?" She asked, not sure what was going on. He didn't answer her. He didn't seem to have noticed her. Not knowing why, she looked back at Remy, as if he would have the answer. He was watching her and smiling. It startled her, but she couldn't look away. It wasn't the same smile he'd given her before…

There was something… wrong, something _off_ about his eyes.


End file.
